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Equine Inflammation Management Supplements Explained

By Angela Kennedy


When tissue is injured by heat, chemicals, or mechanical damage, or it is infiltrated by microorganisms like bacteria or viruses, it triggers an immune response known as inflammation. This process removes the cause of the injury and facilitates the process of healing. There are four cardinal signs of inflammation: pain, heat, redness, and loss of function. While it is a necessary process, it can go wild and cause permanent damage. Equine inflammation management supplements can be used to make your horse more comfortable and stop the process from causing long-term damage.

The inflammatory response involves the microcirculation (arterioles, capillaries and venules) and a subpopulation of white blood cells (monocytes and neutrophils). The diameter of these blood vessels enlarges and affects both the volume and speed of blood flowing to the injured area. This explains the heat and redness associated with inflammation. The blood vessels also become more permeable, so that water and high molecular weight proteins leak. This explains the swelling that occurs.

As well as changes in the blood vessels, the white cells depart the circulation and adhere to the blood vessels in the injured area. They winkle their way outside the circulation and stick to dead or injured tissue. They then engulf the cellular debris and zap it with chemicals.

It doesn't take a massive injury or an extraordinary event to trigger an inflammatory response. Your horse is routinely exposed to background radiation, extremes of heat or cold, mechanical trauma, and a continuing assault by microbes. Generally, this response is geared to recognize what belongs to the horse and what is assaulting it from outside. Sometimes these controls fail and an autoimmune condition results.

Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune condition that is sweeping through western adult populations. As many as six million Americans have been diagnosed with FM; many more go undetected. The symptoms of FB include pain, sleep disturbances, debilitating fatigue, and intestinal dysfunction. Equine Fibromyalgia Syndrome and the human form are generally identical.

If inflammation goes on to long, it can cause permanent damage and serious discomfort for your horse. If this occurs, your vet may prescribe a number of different medications. You, too, can help. There are nutritional supplements out there like devil's claw, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, yucca and hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid has the ability lubricate joints to reduce pain and improve function. Chondroitin sulfate and glocosamine are both ingredients in cartilge. Yucca contains a number of different chemicals, such as saponins, that suppress the intestinal parasites that contribute to inflammation, as well as free radical scavengers and antioxidants. Devil's claw contains chemicals that help to reduce pain and swelling.

Your horse is subject to inflammation merely by the processes of everyday life. You can prevent long-term damage and reduce pain by offering nutritional supplements like those described above. Always consult your vet before trying anything new.




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